1921.] 



A Fruit Demonstration Station. 



047 



It will not be out of place to repeat the statement made at 

 the commencement of this article that the chief valae of 

 demonstration lies in the information obtained as to the 

 varieties best suited to a district. The cost of establishing a 

 station, when compared with the general benefit accruing to 

 the district and the subsequent gain to the country in home- 

 grown fruit, is almost infinitesimal. 



The WTiter had an opportunity of inquiring into the sub- 

 sequent history of the 7-acre field planted by the landlord. 

 Accurate accounts have been kept and it will be of interest 

 to give the yields of fruit for the last four 3^ears. The figures 

 are as follows: — 



Year 1917 approximately 2,000 bushels of appli s. 



„ 1918 „ ' 1,000 



„ 1919 „ 3,700 



„ 1920 „ 500 



The year 1920 was, of course, a bad year for apples in the 

 south. 



The present tenant of Lightlands, who is an old pupil of 

 Uckfield Agricultural College, has largely extended the area 

 under fruit. Fruit has similarly extended in the rest of the 

 district, w^hich prior to 1905 produced practically no fruit on 

 a commercial basis. A fruit demonstration station could 

 scarcely have accomplished more good in such a small space 

 of time. It might be maintained that but for the pioneer work 

 of the County Council, no fruit would yet have been grown 

 in the district. The original station having now become a fully 

 developed fruit plantation, and having, as stated above, 

 achieved its object as a demonstration centre, the agreement 

 with the landlord is about to be terminated. 



